Leena Kareoja-Crothers, pianist, graduated from the Lahti Conservatory in her native Finland, and then from the Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Wien, Austria, where she was a student of Proffesor Richard Hauser. She studied with the renowned French pianist Samson François in Paris and later with Karl Engel in Germany. Ms. Kareoja-Crothers has concertized widely in Europe and in the United States, appearing with orchestras on both continents. She continues to pursue her long term interest in chamber music performance and has made numerous appearances with a variety of ensembles in the US and Europe. Leena Kareoja-Crothers is a registered Suzuki teacher trainer. She founded the Suzuki Piano Program at the Neighborhood Music School in 1976 and served as chair of the Suzuki program for more than 18 years. She recorded Suzuki Piano Books 1-3 and her My Piano Book 4 CDs for NMS students. She is a member of the NMS faculty in the Suzuki Program and the Piano Department.